Machine for inserting fastenings.



APPLICATION FILED SEPT- 5,19l3.

Patented Apr. 16, 1918.

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F. L. MACKENZIE.

MACHINE FOR INSERTING FASTENINGS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT- 5. 19l3.

1,262,820. Patented Apr.16,1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

6Z6 ll/1111.531

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F. L. MACKENZE- MACHINEIFOR INSERTING FASTENINGS.

APPLJCATION FILED sans. 1913.

1,262,820. Patented Apr. 16, 1918.

4 SHE'ETS- -SHEET 4.

- //VVE/\ 72751 UNITED STATES PATENT onrron FRED L. MACKENZIE, OFBEVERLY, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO UNITEDSI-IOE MACHINERY CORPORATION, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY,

.A. CORPORATION OF N JERSEY.

MACHINE FOR INSERTING FASTENINGS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED L. MACKENZIE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Beverly, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts,have invented certain Improvements in Machines for Inserting Fastenings,of which the following description, in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawingsindicating like parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to machines for inserting fastenings andparticularly to a machine for inserting fastenings which comprisesmechanism for automatically controlling the selection of the fasteningsto be inserted whereby the fastenings may be suited to somecharacteristic or characteristics of the work. Controlling mechanism ofthis type is usually adapted to provide or to select from a plurality ofsources of supply a fastening of a length suited to the thickness of thework to be operated upon, and an object of the invention is to provideimproved mechanism for this purpose which will insure a change from onelength of fastening to another when the thickness of the work to beoperated upon is so much greater or so much less than that previouslyoperated upon that the length of fastening previously employed will notbe suitable for insertion.

The invention is herein shown as embodied in a machine for insertingpreviously formed fastenings, of the type known to the trade as loosenailing machine, but it will be obvious that many of the novel featuresof the invention are applicable to other types of fastening insertingmachines and that, therefore, the scope of the terms of the claimsshould be limited merely by the state of the prior art. In machines ofthe type herein shown a plurality of kinds of previously formedfastenings are maintained in a plurality of sources of supply and areconducted into proximity to the point at which the fastening insertingmechanism operates by a plurality of fastening guides which, forconvenience in changing from one kind of fastening to another, may bemoved together.

Ithas previously been attempted to provide mechanism for automaticallycontrolling the relative movement of the fastening Specification ofLetters Patent. Patented Apr, 16, 1918,

Application filed September 5, 1913.

Serial No. 788,194.

guides and that part of the fastening inserting mechanism which receivesthe fastenings to be inserted from the selected one of said guides, theearliest successful attempt to solve this problem being shown in UnitedStates Letters Patent to Arthur Bates and Henry P. Gamble, No. 922,447,granted May 25, 1909. In the said Letters Patent to Bates and Gamble isshown the first machine in which means hereinafter sometimes denominatedan actuator governed by one of two relatively movable work caliperingmembers acts to bring the proper fastening guide into fasteningdelivering position, but has no effect upon said guide except for avariation in the thickness of the Work of a predetermined amount; Thepatent to Bates and Gamble therefore discloses the first machine inwhich a plurality of race ways. are automatically shifted to bring theproper raceway into nail delivering position which is so constructedthat there isno shifting movement of the raceways except at the desiredtime, that is, when the variation in the thickness of the work is of thedesired amount. 1

Owing to the relative weights and therefore the relative inertia of theparts of the raceway shifting mechanism of the Bates and Gambleconstruction it was found that this construction was not eithersensitive enough or quick enough to effect the automatic shifting of theraceways in a machine which operated at comparatively high speed.

There was therefore developed an improvement upon the Bates and Gambleconstruction, embodying the same broad principles of operation, whichimprovement is shown in United States Letters Patent to George Goddu,No. 1,030,775, dated June 25, 1912. It has been found that, although theconstruction shown in the said Letters Patent to Goddu answers betterthe requirements come the defects in the Goddu construction,

is shown in United States Letters Patent to Fred L. MacKenzie, No.1,016,947, granted February 13, 1912, in. which his attempted toovercome the defects of the jarring of the machine by initiating the shfting movement I! a short distance upon each side of the criti calthickness for which the shifting is to be 'efiected and to have themeanswhich serves to transmit the variations in the relative positions of thetwo work thickness calipering members so confined between yieldinglyheld members that thejarring of the machine will have little effect uponits position. This construction, like the preceding constructions, wassuccessful for the main purposes for which it was designed, but it wasfound in operation that, owing to the equal ity oithe pressures of thetwo yielding members upon the two sides of the member which transmittedto the shifting mechanism the variations registered by the caliperingmechanism in the thickness of the work, a neutral position was developedin which there was a tendency of tl'ie'shifting mechanism either not tooperate at all when the variations in thickness required a change in thelength of the nail or to shift the raceways back and forth so thatsometimes a long nail was delivered and sometimes a short nail where thethickness of the work required but the one kind of nail. A furtherreason for the fail ure of the mechanisms disclosed in the above citedLetters Patent to operate with the required nicety was the fact that itwas somewhat difficult to determine the proper adjustment of thesemechanisms for the kind of work to be operated upon.

Some of the objects of the present invention are to overcome thedithculties experienced in the use or" the mechanisms disclosed in theLetters Patent above identified and to provide mechanism which is sosensitive to variations in the thickness of the work that a nail of therequired length will always be supplied, which is so positive in itsoperation that there is no tendency for it either to remain in neutralposition or to he influenced by the vibrations of the machine, and whichcan be so easily and accurately adjusted that the operator may set themechanism to furnish the short nail so long as the short nail can beproperly clenched, may determine definitely the amount of clench or theamount of the nail to be clenched, and whenever a nail of a differentlength is provided in the raceway can quickly and definitely change theadjustment of the machine to adapt it for this length of nail.

Other objects and important i'eatures of the invention will be apparentwhen the following description and claims are considered in connectionwith the accompanying drawings.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machineembodying this invention, a part of the standard or" the machine beingshown as broken away to disclose the structure of the connectionsbetween the work support and variousoperating' mechanisms;

inserting mechanism,

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the head of the machine, the racewaybeing shown as broken away to disclose the parts behind it;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the raceway shifting mechanism showing theparts in the positions which they assume when the raceway is set todeliver short nails;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the parts in the positionwhich they assume when the raceway is set to deliver long nails;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the raceway shifting mechanism and or"some of the connections by which this mechanism is operated andcontrolled;

Fig. 6 is a perspective detail, partly in section, illustrating aportion of the connections between the horn and the pair of does bywhich the direction of shift of the race way is controlled;

Fig. 7 is a section through the pawl tipper on the line 7-7, Fig. 4E;

Fig. 8 is a detail view showing the connection between the raceway andits shifting mechanism Fig. 9 is a view showing the double pawl and itsassociated parts in disassembled relation;'and

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of pawl viewed from the rear.

The machine in which the invention is shown as embodied is of the typemore fully described and illustrated in United States Letters Patent toGeorge Goddu, No. 1,030,775, granted June 25, 1912; and the mechanismfor shifting the double raceway from shortnail position to long nailposition and vice versa. is an improvement both upon the racewayshifting mechanism shown in said Letters Patent to Goddu and upon alater form of raceway shitting mechanism shown in United States LettersPatent to Fred L. Maclienzie, No. 1,016,94i7, granted February 13, 1912.

In the machine herein illustrated, as in the machines of the saidLetters Patent hereinabove referred to, a raceway having a plurality ofnail guiding grooves, or a plurality of connected raceways, is socontrolled by variations in thickness of the work presented to themachine in position to receive a nail that, when the work exceeds athickness for which a short nail is suitable, the raceway or racewayswill be moved into position to cause a long nail to be delivered to theand vice versa. To this end the machine herein illustrated, like themachines disclosed in the said Letters Patent, comprises means forgaging the thickness of the work which, for convenience, is the horn orother work support and the abutment against which the horn pressesthework, and means by which variations in the position of the movablemember of said gagin means will so sheet the angular position' or adouble pawl arranged t e-reaperthe double ate with a slide connected tothe raceway or raceways that, when the thickness of the work requires ashort nail, the pawl will be tipped in one direction and will engage andforce said slide and raceway into position to deliver short nails andwhen the thickness of the work requires a long nail the pawl will betipped in another direction to cause the raceway to be moved intoposition to deliver a long nail.

For convenience in comparing the machine herein disclosed with thoseshown in the prior patents hereinabove referred to, similar referencenumerals will be attached to similar parts where these parts have notbeen much changed or are not associated with parts which have undergonemuch change. The pawl carrying slide 280, upon which is mounted theactuator for shifting the raceway in the form of a double pawl 502, isreciprocated to bring said pawl into and out of engagement with one orthe other of two shoulders 302, 306, upon a horizontal slide 304, byconnections with a bell crank lever 182, comprising a rack 294 mountedupon said slide 280, which rack is engaged by a segment rack 296 upon anarm 298 of said bell crank 182. Another arm of said bell crank 182carries a cam roll which enters the cam groove 184 in the cam wheel 48upon the main shaft 20 of the machine. The connections between the slide304 and the double raceway 264 comprise, as shown in the Letters Patenthereinbefore referred to, oppositely threaded rods 308, 310, connectedby an adjusting nut 312, the rod 308 being pivotally connected to thelug 314 upon the side of the double raceway. The rod 310 receives in anopening at one end an eccentric pin carried on the lower end of the rockshaft 318 mounted in a bearing on the bracket 272, said rock shafthaving formed upon its upper end a pinion 320 with which meshes asegment rack 322 (see Figs. 2 and 8) formed upon the end of the rock arm324 which is clamped upon the upper end of the rock shaft 326 alsomounted in a bearing in the bracket 27 2 and carrying at its lower end asegment gear 328 which meshes with rack teeth 330 formed upon the slide304, the rack teeth 330 being formed at an inclination to the slide bar304 and the bearings for the rock shafts 326, 318 being correspondinglyinclined, this inclination serving'to prevent binding when the inclinedraceway is moved. The shifting movement of the slide 304 is sufficientto turn the eccentric pin upon the shaft 318 around from one dead centerto the other with respect to the rod 310 so that the racewaysare'positively shifted and positively held in the positions into whichthey have been shifted.

The parts thus far described are substantially the s ame as thecorresponding parts shown in the patent to Fred L. MacKenzie hereinabovereferred to, with the exception that the slide 280 is now provided withan overhanging yoke member 600 which has formed in its split lower'end abearingfor the pivot pin 602 of the double pawl 502, said pin beingclamped in said yoke by a set screw 604. As in the machine shown in thesaid patent to MacKenzie, the double pawl 502 has attached to, orforming part of it, a semi-circular piece 534 which provides uponopposite sides of the axis of said pawl shoulders 535 which coiiperatewith dogs 536 and 538 upon the pawl tipper 606, forming part of theactuator controlling means, which differs somewhat in its constructionand in its connections to the work thickness gaging means from thecorresponding part shown in the said Letters Patent to MacKenzie. Theoperation of said pawl tipper, so far as the tipping of the pawl isconcerned, is substantially identical with the operation of thecorresponding part of said Letters Patent to MacKenzie. The pawl tipper606 herein shown comprises two arms, 608, 610,'which carry respectivelythe dogs 536, 538, and a circular body portion provided with a hub 612mounted to turn freely upon a shaft 614. The body portion of the tipper606 is cut away below the hub 612 to form a segmental opening 616 (Figs.4, 6 and 7) through which projects a stop 618 carried by an arm 620(Fig. 3) provided with a hub 621 (Fig. 7) sleeved upon the hub 612, saidarm being given a tendency to turn in'a counter-clockwise direction (seeFigs. 3 and 4) by a spring 622 coiled about the hub 621 and hearing atone end against a pin 624 upon said arm 620, and at its other end beingattached to a clamp collar 626 clamped upon the hub 612. and itselfhaving a hub 62'? which abuts against the hub 621 (Fig. 7). The movementof the arm 620 relative to the pawl tipper 606 is limited in thedirection in which the spring tends to turn said arm by a stop 628 (Fig.3) adjustable about the periphery of the circular body portion of saidtipper, said stophaving a tongue 630 (Fig. 6) confined in a circulargroove 631 upon the rear face of said pawl tipper. A spring pressed pin632 carried bysaid stop 628 is adapted to enter any one of a series ofholes 634 upon the periphery of the body portion of the pawl tipper 606to lock said stop in adjusted position.

The pawl tipper is so arranged that it is normally in short nailposition, being yieldingly maintained in this position by a spring 636(Fig. 5) which is connected at one end to a screw or stud 638 upon thebracket 272 by which the raceway shifting mechanism is carried, and atits other end is bent down so that it enters a socket 640 in the outerface ofa bell crank lever 642 fulcrumed upon a stud 644 and having atits forward end a short rack 616 which'engages teeth 648 in theperiphery of the Circular body portion of the pawl tipper 606. Betweenthe stud 64 1 and the pawl tipper 606 the arm of the bell crank 6&2 isprovided with an opening which receives a stud 650 serving as a stop forthe vertical movements of said arm, the opening being larger in diameterthan the stud 650, whereby movement of the arm sufficient to rock orpermit the rocking of the pawl tipper between its two pawl tippingpositions can take place. The pawl tipper may be moved into its longnail position either by manual means herein to be described, orautomatically in accordance with the demands of the work. The means foreffecting the movement of the pawl tipper automatically in accordancewith changes in the thickness of the work which require a long nail, areoperated through connections with the born 22 or other work support;said connections comprising a two-part lever 4:64, 468 (Fig. 1), adaptedto be put into operative position by a treadle operated cam or eccentric476, as more fully described in United States Letters Patent to GeorgeGoddu, No. 1,011,941, granted December 19, 1911, the toggle 168, 170,normally maintained in straightened position whereby the pressure of aspring 164 is transmitted to the born 22 to clamp the work against thework abutment 266, and a rod 160 connected at its lower end to a pawlcarrying slide 162 and at its upper end to one end of the lever 652(Fig. 6) fulcrumed upon the short shaft 654 in the machine frame, saidlever having a second arm 656 extending outside the frame and providedat its end with a segment rack 658 (see Fig. 6). The segment rack 658meshes with a small segment rack or part of a pinion 660 forming part ofmultiplying connections carried upon a shaft 662 journaled in themachine frame, the other part of said connections comprising a segmentrack 661 formed upon the arc of a circle of a larger radius than the arcof curvature of the rack or pinion 660. The rack 66% meshes with apinion 666 carried upon the inner end of the rock shaft 614 whereby saidshaft is turned as the thickness of the work gaged between the horn 22andthe work abutment 266 varies. Formed integral with the shaft 614- isan enlarged portion 668 carrying a tooth or stop 670 adapted to engagethe stop 618 upon the arm 620.

It will be noted that the connections from the horn 22 to the pawltipper operating means are of a nature such that the pawl tipperoperating means does not partake of the movement of the born to permitthe work to be fed but. isv moved only upon changein the thicknessof thework engaged by the horn. a

already indicated, theconnectionbe tween the pawl tipper or actuatorcontrolling means and the horn is normally broken between the stop 670on the shaft 614 and the stop 618 upon the arm 620. The brokenconnection between the pawl tipper and the horn permits the pawl tipperto be normally maintained in fixed position by the spring 686 regardlessof changes in the thickness of the work being operated upon so long asthe work does not exceed a predetermined thickness. As illustrated, thespring 636 tends to maintain the pawl tipper in its short nail position.When the work increases in thickness, the rock shaft 614 is turnedthrough the connections with the horn hereinabove described in thedirection to move the stop 670 (Fig. 6) into engagement with the stop618 and thus make connection between the pawl tipper and the born. Thestop 618 is free to move away from the stop 628 upon the circular bodyportion of the pawl tipper 606 but the hub 621 of the arm 620, whichcarries the stop 618, is connected to the hub 612 of'the pawl tipper 606by the spring 622 which is put under increased tension as the stop 670tends to move the stop 618 away from the step 628. The pawl tipper 606is thus caused to follow the move- I ment of the stop 618 until it comesinto its long nail position, or until its movement is limited by theengagement of one side of the opening in the arm 64-2 with the stud 650.If the increase in thickness of the stockis greater than that requiredto effect this movement of the pawl tipper, the arm 620 will move out ofengagement with the stop 628, the increased tension of the springtending to hold the pawl tipper steady in its long nail position.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the raceway shiftingmechanism is so constructed that the pawl tipper which controls theactuator or pawl is normally stationary and is moved only when work ofor exceeding a predetermined thickness is passed between the caliperingmembers. By reason of occupying a definite fixed position until work ofsubstantially such thickness as to require a change to nails of adifferent length is brought within the operation of the caliperingmembers, the pawl tipper will always be engaged in a uniform manner bythe stop 670 when a change is called for and operated positively andwith certainty. By the operation of spring 686 on the pawl tipper, theraceway shifting mechanism is given a tendency to remain in the shortnail position and it will be moved to long nail position only when thethickness of the work increases beyond a certain predetermined point.This arrangement of the shifting mechanism so thatthe pawl tipper isheld yieldingly and under spring pressure in its short nail position isimportant since the spring tends to maintain. the tipper steady andprevent its being moved out of its short nail position by the jar of themachine. Furthermore, as already suggestedabove, when the thickness ofthe work gaged has passed a certain predetermined limit, the tipper ismoved into its long nail position by the action of the second spring,which overcomes the resistance of the first spring, and which,furthermore, tends to maintain the tipper yieldingly in its long nailposition and thus to cushion the shocks of the machine and prevent thetipper from accidentally returning to short nail position so long as thework requires a long nail.

In order that the machine may conveniently be adjusted so that the shortnail will be delivered so long as it can be satisfactorily used (whichis usually while the work is of such a thickness that the short nail canbe properly clenched on the inside of the work) the circular bodyportion of the pawl tipper 606 has been provided with graduations 672indicating nail lengths in the usual terms employed in the art of nailmaking; that is, in eighths of an inch. These graduations are arrangedto be read from the upper edge of the stop 628, or from a pointer 674formed upon said stop. lVhen the stop is located, as shown for example,in Figs. 8 and 4 of the drawings, so that its edge or pointer is uponthe graduation marked 341-, the shifting mechanism is so set that theraceway will not be shifted until the stock through which the nail is tobe driven is of a thickness greater than that in which a nail eighths ofan inch could be properly clenched. The operator, knowing the lengths ofthe nailsin the two raceways, or at least knowing the length of theshort nail, will accordingly set the stop upon the graduationcorresponding to the length of the short nail and the machine will thenautomatically deliver a long nail when it is required. A suitableallowance for clenching is and in the illustrated machine such allowanceis mane in graduating the scale upon the pawl ,tipper. If the operatordesires more clench than that provided in graduating the scale to naillengths he hasv only to turn the indicator back to a graduationindicating a shorter nail than that in the short nail raceway.

If it is desired to deliver a long nail when the work is not of such athicknessthat the long nail would be automatically supplied, the racewayor raceways maybe shifted into position to deliver the long nail bymanually controlled means now to be described but which is not a part ofthe-present invention, being the invention ofrGeorge Goddu and describedand claimed in the co-pending application of said George Goddu, SerialNo. 788,193 filed Sept. 5, 1913. The bell crank lever 642 hereinabovereferred to has a second arm 676 (Figs. 8 and 4) having a stop face 678over. which hooks a dog 680 pivotally connected to an arm 682 of anotherbell crank fulcrumed at 684 upon a rearward eX- tension. of the bracket272; said dog being provided with a slot 686 guided upon a stud or screw688 for limiting longitudinal movement. A second arm 690 of the dogoperated bell crank is formed with a vertical bore through which slidesa rod 692. The rod 692 also passes through a vertical bore in a. lug 694projecting laterally from a socket link v697 forming a part of theconnections between the starting treadle 3 and the clutch, saidconnections comprising a lever 380 and other parts more fully shown anddescribed in the Letters Patent to George Goddu, No. 1,030,7 7 5hereinabove referred to. A spring 696 surrounding the rod 692 andlocated between the lug 694 and the arm 690 tends to keep said lug andarm in separated relation. A clamp collar 698 clamped upon the rod 692below the lug 694 is adapted to engage said lug and, through theconnections hereinabove referred to, to trip the clutch and start themachine. During the first part of this movement of the rod 692 the bellcrank lever 690, 682 will be rocked to draw back the dog 680 to throwthe pawl tipper into its long nail position. The rod 692 is connected atits lower end by an adjustable clamp 700 to a second rod 702 pivotallyconnected at 704 to a secondtreadle 706 fulcrumed in the base of themachine, said rod 702 being guided through a sleeve 708 formed in theconnections between the treadle 3 and thelink- 697. The front end of thetreadle 706 is normally maintained in its elevated positionby the actionof'the spring 710 sur-' rounding the rod 692 and confined between aclamp collar 712 upon said rod and the bracket 714 projecting from theback of the standard 4. The treadle 3 is normally maintained in itselevated position by a spring 262 confined between a collar 261 upon therod 260 and the said bracket 714.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that, when it is desiredto deliver a long nail and the position of the work thickness gagingmechanism is not such that a long nail will be automatically furnished,

the pawl tipper canbe thrown into'its long nail position by simplydepressing the forward end of the treadle lever 706. Further more, if itis desired to start the machine without raising the horn, continueddepres sion of the forward end of the treadle 7 06 will serve also tostart the machine. Owing to the connections above described between thistreadle lever and the means for manuually controlling the shifting ofthe raceway, the machine, when. started by this treadle lever, willdeliver long nails. If it is desired to start the machine withoutraising the horn and have the machine deliver short nails, this may bedone by simply pressing the pawl tipper back into its short nailposition against the. tension of the spring 696. One of the advantagesof being able to start the machine with the horn in its depressedposition is that, when it is desired to empty the hoppers or raceways,the machine may be run to throw out the nails in the raceway withouthaving this operation interfered with by the horn.

In this machine, as in the machine shown in the Letters Patent N 0.1,016,947, to F. M'acKenzie (see particularly Fig. 6 of said LettersPatent) the pawl is given a tendency to remain in one or the, other ofits operative positions by the action of a locking member 540 (Fig. 10)depending below the pivot of the pawl, the point of which locking memberenters one orthe other of two notches 542 in a cooperating lock member544 attached to the lower end of a rod 288 which passes down through thecenter of the slide 280 and is held normally in its uppermost positionby a spring 290.

Having now described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a machine of the class described, means for supplying short nails,means for supplying long nails, means for caliperingthe thickness of thework, and mechanism controlled by connections with said calipering meansfor automatically changing at a predetermined thickness of work thelength of nail supplied, said mechanism being adjustable to adapt it fordifferent lengths of short nails, and including two parts relativelymovable and occupying a predetermined relation when the mechanism isad-. justed for a short nail of given length and being provided withmeans for indicating the adjustment required for a nail of that leng h.

2.111 a machine of the class described, means for supplying short nails,means for supplying long nails, means for calipering the thickness ofthe work, and mechanism controlled by connections with said caliperingmeans for automatically changing at a predetermined thickness of workthe length of nail supplied, said mechanism being adjustable to adapt itfor diflerent lengths of short nails, and including two parts relativelymovable and occupying a predetermined relation when the mechanism isadjusted for each length of short nails which may be used and beingprovided with means for indicating the adjustment required for eachlength of short nail.

3. In a machine of the class described, means for supplying short nails,means for supplying long nails, means for calipering thethickness of thework, mechanism operatively connected to said calipering means forautomatically changing at a predeternaeasaa mined thickness of work thelength of nail supplied, said mechanism comprising two parts relativelymovable, and means for maintaining said parts in a predeterminedrelation when the mechanism is adjusted for a short nail of givenlength, said parts being normally disengaged from said calipering meansbut constructed and arranged to be operated thereby.

4. In a machine of the class described, means for supplying short nails,means for supplying long nails, means for calipering the thickness ofthe work, and mechanism controlled by connections with said caliperingmeans for automatically changing at a predetermined thickness of workthe length. of nail supplied, said mechanism being adjustable to adaptit for difierent lengths of short nails, and including two partsrelatively movable and occupying a predetermined relation when themechanism is ad justed for a short nail of given length together withmeans, not associated with the work, operating to maintain said parts insaid predetermined relation, said parts being normally disengaged fromsaid calipering means but constructed and arranged to be operatedthereby.

5. I11 a machine of the class described, means for supplying shortnails, means for supplying long nails, and mechanism including membersfor calipering the thickness of the work for automatically changing at apredetermined thickness of work the length of nail supplied, saidmechanism comprising two parts relatively movable and occupying apredetermined relation when the mechanism is adjusted for a short nailof given length and being adjustable for diflerent lengths of shortnails without regard to the relative positions of the work caliperingmembers.

6.111 a machine for inserting fastenings, two raceways constructedrespectively for short nails and lorg nails, means for automaticallybringing the appropriate raceway into operative nail delivering positionin accordance with the thickness of the work, means for imparting tosaid beforementioned means atendency to maintain one of said raceways infastening delivering position, and means for manually bringing either ofsaid raceways into operative nail delivering position when the work isnot of such a thickness that the said raceway would be automaticallymoved into nail delivering position.

7. In a machine of the class described, two raceways adapted to supplynails of different lengths in accordance with the require-- ments of thework, and means for automatically bringing the appropriate raceway intonail delivering position as the work varies in thickness, said meanscomprising yielding means having a tendency to maintain one of saidraoeways in operative position and other yielding means strong enoughwhen operative to overcome the first-mentioned yielding means and whileoperative to maintain the other of said raceways yield-v ingly inoperative position.

8. In a machine of the class described, fastening inserting mechanism, aplurality of sources of fastening supply, a fastening guide leading fromeach source, means for automatically bringing any one of said guidesinto operative fastening delivering relation to said mechanism inaccordance with the demands of the work, and means acting to impart tosaid automatic means tendency to return said guides always to the sameselective relation to said inserting mechanism.

9. In a machine for inserting fastenings, two raceways constructedrespectively for short nails and long nails, means for auto maticallybringing the appropriate raceway into operative nail delivering positionin accordance with the demands of the work, said means comprising twostops arranged to turn about a common axis, one of said stops beingcontrolled in its position by the thickness of the work and the other ofsaid stops being located in the path of said first-mentioned stop to beengaged by said first-mentioned stop when the thickness of the workpasses a predetermined limit, and means whereby the engagement of thesecond stop by the first stop effects the shifting of the raceways, saidsecond stop being adjustable about the axis of movement of said stops toprovide for its engagement by the first stop for different criticalthicknesses.

10. In a machine of the class described, inserting mechanism, tworaceways constructed respectively for short nails and long nails, andautomatic means for supplying a short nail or a long nail in accordancewith the demands of the work, said means comprising two stops arrangedto turn about a common axis, one of said stops eing controlled in itsposition by the thickness of the work, and the other of said stops beinglocated in the path of said first mentioned stop to be engaged by saidfirst mentioned stop when the thickness of the work passes apredetermined limit, one of said stops being adjustable about the axisof movement of said stops to provide for the engagement of said stopsfor diiierent critical thicknesses.

11. In a machine of the class described, the combination with insertingmechanism, and two raceways constructed respectively for short nails andlong nails, of automatic means for supplying to the inserting mechanisma nail of the length demanded by the work to be operated upon, saidmeans comprising stops relatively movable about a common axis as thework varies in thickness, and arranged to engage and to control the nailselection when the thickness of the work passes a predetermined limit,one of said stops being adjustable about said axis to provide forengagement of the stops for different critical thicknesses, the path ofadjustment of said stop being graduated in nail lengths.

12. In a machine of the class described, a plurality of fastening guidesarranged to supply respectively fastenings of different lengths, andmechanism including relatively movable work thickness calipering membersfor automatically bringing the appropriate relative positions of thework calipering.

members.

13. In a machme of the class described, in-

serting means, two raceways constructed re-- spectively for nails havingdifierent characteristics, and means for automatically effecting arelative movement of said raceways and said inserting means to cause theappropriate raceway. to be brought into operative nail deliveringrelation to said inserting means in accordance with the demands of thework, said means comprising work thickness calipering means, means foreffecting said relative movement, two stops, one of which is positivelyconnected to said caliporing means and the other of which is yieldinglyconnected to said means for offecting the relative movement, and meanstending to maintain said raceways and said inserting means in one oftheir operative relations.

14:. In a machine of the class described, two raceways constructedrespectively for nails having different characteristics and means forautomatically bringing the appropriate raceway into operative naildelivering position in accordance with the demands of the work, saidmeans comprising a spring, not associated with the work, which tends atall times to return said raceways to, or to maintain them in, one oftheir nail delivering positions.

15. In a machine of the class described, two raceways constructedrespectively for short nails and long nails and means for automaticallybringing the appropriate raceway into operative nail delivering positionin accordance with the demands of the work, said means comprising means,not associated with the work, which tends at all times to return saidraceways to, or to maintain them in combination with two racewaysmovable into one or the other of two fastening delivering positions,work thickness calipering means, raceway shifting means, cooperatingstops, one of which is positively connected to said calipering means andthe other of which is yieldingly connected to said shifting means, andmeans tending to maintain said raceways in, or to return them to, one oftheir fastening delivering positions.

17. In a machine of the class described, in combination with tworaceways movable into one or the other of two fastening deliveringpositions, work thickness calipering means, raceway shifting means, andactuating connections between said calipering means and said shiftingmeans comprising two stops relatively movable in the same path, one ofsaid stops being connected to said calipering means and the other beingconnected to said shifting means, and means for yieldingly maintainingone of said stops at a predetermined point in the path of movement ofthe other.

18. In a machine of the class described, means for supplying shortnails, means for supplying long nails, means for calipering thethickness of the work, and mechanism controlled by connections with saidcalipering means for automatically changing at a predetermined thicknessof work the length of nail supplied, said mechanism being adjustable toadapt it for different lengths of short nails and comprising two stopsrelatively movable in the same path and means for yielding maintainingone of said stops at a predetermined point in the path of movement ofthe other.

19. In a machine of the class described, in combination with tworaceways and means yieldingly maintaining said raceways in one of twofastening delivering positions, work thickness calipering mechanism,raceway shifting mechanism, and actuating connections between saidmechanisms comprising cooperating stops relatively movable in the samepath, one of said stops being connected to said calipering mechanism andthe other being connected to said shifting mechanism, and means formaintaining one of said stops yieldingly at a predetermined point in thepath of movement of the other.

20. In a machine of the class described, in combination with tworaceways, and means yieldingly maintaining said raceways in one of twofastening delivering positions, work thickness calipering mechanism,raceway shifting mechanism, actuating connections between saidmechanisms comprising cooperating stops relatively movable in the samepath, one of said stops being connected-to said calipering mechanism andthe other being connected to said shifting mechanism, and adjustablemeans for maintaining one of said stops yieldingly at a predeterminedpoint in the path of movement of the other, the pat i of adjustment ofsaid means being graduated in characteristics of the nails in saidraceways.

e 21. In a machine of the class described, two raceways constructedrespectively for fastenings having different characteristics, insertingmeans, said raceways and said inserting means being relatively movableto cause nails to be delivered from one or the other of said raceways, asp ing tending to maintain. said parts in, or to return them to, one ofthe nail delivering relations, and means for automatically efiecting therela tive movement into the other nail delivering relation in accordancewith the demands of the work, comprising a second spring arranged tomaintain said parts yieldingly in said last mentioned nail deliveringrelation.

22. In a. machine of the class described, two raceways, inserting means,mechanism for efiecting automatically a relative shifting of saidraceways and said inserting means whereby fastenings may be deliveredfrom one or the other of said raceways, means, not associated with thework, tending at all times to cause said mechanism to maintain saidparts in, or to return them to, one of their fastening deliveringrelations, and means controlled by a characteristic of the work foractuating said mechanism to cause it automatically to move said partsinto the other of the fastening delivering relations.

23. In a machine of the class described,

in combination with inserting means, two raceways, and mechanism foreffecting automatically relative fastening selecting movements of saidinserting means and said raceways into different fastening deliveringrelations, means controlled by the work to'be operated upon fordetermining into which of said fastening delivering relations theinserting means and the raceways are relatively moved by said mechanism,said means having a limited range of movement, and yielding meanstending to maintain said determining means in, or to return it to, oneof its determining positions.

24. In a machine of the class described, means for supplying shortnails, means for supplying long nails, work calipering members, andmeans for automatically changing at a predetermined thickness of thework the length of nail supplied comprising an actuator, controllingmeans for the actuator, means for yieldingly retaining said controllingmeans in a position to cause one length I of nail to be supplied andmechanism controlled by said work-cahpering members constructed andarranged to move said c011- trolling means unyieldingly in opposition tosaid retaining means into a position to cause a difierent length of nailto be supplied.

25. In a machine of the class described, means for supplying nails ofone length, means for supplying nails of a different length, workcalipering members, and means for utomatically changing at apredetermined thickness of work the length of nail supplied comprising acontinuously operated actuator, controlling means for the actuatorconstructed and arranged to occupy a fixed position regardless of changein the thickness of the work being operated upon so long as the work isnot of a predetermined thickness, and means governed by said workcalipering members for moving said controlling means when the work atthe point engaged by said calipering members is of a predeterminedthickness.

26. In a machine of the class described,

means for supplying nails of one length, means for supplying nails of adifierent length, work calipering members, and means for automaticallychanging at a predetermined thickness of work the length of nailsupplied, comprising an actuator, movable controlling means for saidactuator, means for limiting the movement of said controlling means ineither direction, yielding means for moving sald controlling means tothe limit of its movement in one direction for supplying nails of onelength, and means governed by connections with ies or this patent may beobtained to: five cents each,

said Work calipering members for moving said controlling means to thelimit o its movement in the opposite direction for supplying nails of adifierent length constructed and arranged to move said control lingmeans unyieldingly to the limit of its movement in opposition to saidyielding means and to yield to a movement of said connections tending tomove said controlling means beyond the limit of its movement.

27. In a machine of the class described, means for supplying shortnails, means for supplying long nails, means for calipering thethickness of the work, and mechanism controlled by connections with saidcalipering means for automatically hanging at a predetermined thicknessof Work the length of nail supplied, said mechanism comprising anactuator for the nail supplying means and controlling means for saidactuator normally disengaged from the work calipering means andconstructed and arranged for operative engagement therewith at suchtimes only as work of a predetermined thickness is being operated uponby said ,Work calipering means.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specificatlon in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRED L. MACKENZIE.

Witnesses:

Gnonen GoDDU, I-I. DORSEY SPENCER.

by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents,

Wton, Do on

